Movement of freight throughout the world is facilitated by the use of standardized intermodal freight containers. The containers are built to have standardized dimensions as specified in ISO 668, by the International Organization for Standards. ISO is a worldwide federation of national standards bodies. In having freight containers of a standard size, all major modes of transportation have equipment available that is designed to easily handle the standardized containers. Modes of transportation that handle the standardized containers include ships, trains, airplanes, and trucks. For example, a standardized container might be loaded with product at a manufacturer in a foreign country, transported by truck to a seaport, transported by ship to a domestic seaport, transported by train to a freight yard, and finally transported by truck to a central warehouse of the receiver. Or, for example, a final destination might be a large retail outlet in a shopping center or a manufacturing plant.
Although many manufacturing operations, warehouses, large retail outlets, etc. are equipped with docking facilities designed to efficiently handle the standardized containers, others may not be so equipped, or during high volume periods sufficient docking areas at the well equipped facilitates may not be available.
In order to best make use of over-the-road trucking equipment, a practice is often carried out in which the standardized container is off loaded from the trailer of a truck to a dock area or placed on a preferably paved lot or placement pad for loading or unloading by the shipper or receiver, over a period of time. Such practice enables the truck and driver to proceed with additional deliveries in an efficient manner. The shipper or receiver is then able to load or unload the container at a time most convenient to the shipper or receiver. Unloading typically is carried out with the use of a forklift or the like, or hand trucks when the contents of the container are of a size and weight to be so handled.
When a standardized container is placed on a placement pad or the like for loading or unloading, as described above, there is a problem that the inside floor of the container is at a level above the surface of the pad on which the container is placed. The difference in height is typically 5-7 inches.
It is common practice to use a dock plate or even a sheet of plywood to bridge this height difference, however such method can be a safety issue. With use of a plate, it typically is not restrained from moving, and it can easily slip from the edge of the container, possibly causing injury to a worker or damage to the product being handled. Also, unless the dock plate or the like is properly contoured, the edge of the dock plate located inside the standardized container is spaced from the floor of the container, thus resulting in another safety hazard for those using the dock plate while loading and unloading the container.